Design Myths Web Design

Do Not Believe These Design Myths

If you are a web designer, there’s a chance that you have heard quite a few design myths over and over again. Whether it is from your friends, your parents, or the clients you work with, there are plenty of myths to go around. Sometimes designers will even agree with them! Note that this doesn’t always make it true.

Let’s debunk a few of these myths and get the better answers:

Myth: Design is an Artform
Not really. Design is design and there isn’t much else do it. by Professor Nigel Cross in his book, Designerly ways of knowing, as he defined design as the following: “Everything we have around us has been designed. Design ability is, in fact, one of the three fundamental dimensions of human intelligence. Design, science, and art form an ‘AND’ not an ‘OR’ relationship to create the incredible human cognitive ability.”

This means that you can’t really define what design is, which also means that you can only use the world “design” to define it.

Myth: Design is all in the Tools
When you design, you use tools. This means that most people think that all you have to do is learn how to master the tools and you will be able to be a designer. This isn’t really the case. You have to learn how to think and feel like a designer and then actually do the work. There are certain parts of design that you just can’t “learn” your way through if you want to be truly great.

That doesn’t mean that people can’t become designers or grow in their skills.

Myth: Designers Don’t Need An Education
We just said that you can’t learn how to be a designer so doesn’t that mean you don’t need a degree? Not a chance. Designers should go to professionals to learn about the basics of design. You can’t learn everything overnight and some people need more time with the tools than others will. While the internet has tons of resources, it isn’t easy to learn everything by yourself. The skills and the determination requires someone who can critique your work.

Like with art, writing, or even science, you have to learn the rules of something in order to break them and become yourself. This becomes your basis. Learn how to talk about principles, theory, and your skillset in a way that will sell you.

These are only a few of the myths that surround design and web design in particular. There are plenty more out there that give the industry a bit of a bad reputation. Work to break those stereotypes and redefine what it means to be a web designer. You never know who is paying attention!